PUBG Mobile, 117 more apps banned in India: See the full list here

This new list of 118 apps that have been banned by the Indian goverment include the likes of PUBG Mobile, PUBG Mobile Lite, Ludo World and Baidu amongst others.

The MeitY press statement says that in the view of the emergent nature of threats these 118 apps have been blocked. (Pixabay)

The Indian government has banned 118 more mobile apps today that are “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India and security of state and public order”. 

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued a press statement today where it invoked its power under section 69A of the IT Act read with the relevant provisions of the IT (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules 2009 to block these apps. 

The press statement says that in the view of the emergent nature of threats these 118 apps have been blocked. According to the statement, MeitY has received “many complaints from various sources including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users' data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India”. 

“The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures,” the statement adds. 

Here's the full list of the apps banned: 

APUS Launcher Pro- Theme, Live Wallpapers, Smart	CamCard - Business Card Reader	Tencent Weiyun	Chess Rush	Message Lock (SMS Lock)-Gallery Vault Developer Team	Cleaner - Phone Booster	Web Browser - Fast, Privacy & Light Web Explorer	Carrom Friends : Carrom Board & Pool Game-	Kitty Live - Live Streaming & Video Live Chat	Murderous Pursuits
APUS Launcher- Theme, Call Show, Wallpaper, HideApps	CamCard Business	Pitu	PUBG MOBILE Nordic Map: Livik	Hide App-Hide Application Icon	Web Browser & Fast Explorer	Web Browser - Secure Explorer	Ludo All Star- Play Online Ludo Game & Board Games	Malay Social Dating App to Date & Meet Singles	Tencent Watchlist (Tencent Technology)
APUS Security -Antivirus, Phone security, Cleaner	CamCard for Salesforce	WeChat Work	PUBG MOBILE LITE	AppLock	Video Player All Format for Android	Music player - Audio Player	Bike Racing : Moto Traffic Rider Bike Racing Games	Alipay	Learn Chinese AI-Super Chinese
APUS Turbo Cleaner 2020- Junk Cleaner, Anti-Virus	CamOCR	Cyber Hunter	Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade	AppLock Lite	Photo Gallery HD & Editor	Video Player - All Format HD Video Player	Rangers Of Oblivion : Online Action MMO RPG Game	AlipayHK	HUYA LIVE – Game Live Stream
APUS Flashlight-Free & Bright	InNote	Cyber Hunter Lite	Art of Conquest: Dark Horizon	Dual Space - Multiple Accounts & App Cloner	Photo Gallery & Album	Lamour Love All Over The World	Z Camera - Photo Editor, Beauty Selfie, Collage	Mobile Taobao	Little Q Album
Cut Cut – Cut Out & Photo Background Editor	VooV Meeting - Tencent Video Conferencing	Knives Out- No rules, just fight!	Dank Tanks	ZAKZAK Pro - Live chat & video chat online	Music Player - Bass Booster - Free Download	Amour- video chat & call all over the world.	GO SMS Pro - Messenger, Free Themes, Emoji	Youku	Fighting Landlords - Free and happy Fighting Landlords
Baidu	Super Clean - Master of Cleaner, Phone Booster	Super Mecha Champions	Warpath	ZAKZAK LIVE: live-streaming & video chat app	HD Camera - Beauty Cam with Filters & Panorama	MV Master - Make Your Status Video & Community	U-Dictionary: Oxford Dictionary Free Now Translate	Road of Kings- Endless Glory	Hi Meitu
Baidu Express Edition	WeChat reading	LifeAfter	Game of Sultans	Music - Mp3 Player	HD Camera Pro & Selfie Camera	MV Master - Best Video Maker & Photo Video Editor	Ulike - Define your selfie in trendy style	Sina News	Mobile Legends: Pocket
FaceU - Inspire your Beauty	Government WeChat	Dawn of Isles	Gallery Vault - Hide Pictures And Videos	Music Player - Audio Player & 10 Bands Equalizer	Music Player - MP3 Player & 10 Bands Equalizer	APUS Message Center-Intelligent management	Tantan - Date For Real	Netease News	VPN for TikTok
ShareSave by Xiaomi: Latest gadgets, amazing deals	Small Q brush	Ludo World-Ludo Superstar	Smart AppLock (App Protect)	HD Camera Selfie Beauty Camera	Gallery HD	LivU Meet new people & Video chat with strangers	MICO Chat: New Friends Banaen aur Live Chat karen	Penguin FM	Penguin E-sports Live assistant

Buy Cars-offer everything you need, special offers and low prices	Beauty Camera Plus - Sweet Camera & Face Selfie	Chief Almighty: First Thunder BC	AFK Arena	Crusaders of Light NetEase Games	Onmyoji NetEase Games	Yimeng Jianghu-Chu Liuxiang has been fully upgraded	Arena of Valor: 5v5 Arena Games	Rules of Survival
iPick	Parallel Space Lite - Dual App	MARVEL Super War NetEase Games	Creative Destruction NetEase Games	Mafia City Yotta Games	Ride Out Heroes NetEase Games	Legend: Rising Empire NetEase Games	Soul Hunters

The MeitY press statement adds that the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, Ministry of Home Affairs has also sent an exhaustive recommendation for blocking these malicious apps. 

And there have been similar “bipartisan concerns, flagged by various public representatives, both outside and inside the Parliament of India”  the statement mentions adding that there has been a strong chorus in the public space to take strict action against apps that harm India's sovereignty as well as the privacy of citizens.

MeitY said that on the basis of these warnings and complaints, along with receiving credible inputs that the information posted, permissions sought, functionality embedded as well as data harvesting practices in these apps raise serious concerns that they are collecting and sharing data in a surreptitious manner and compromising on personal data and information of users that can have a severe threat to security of the country. 

Use of these apps have been blocked on both mobile and non-mobile Internet-enabled devices. 

“This move will safeguard the interests of crores of Indian mobile and internet users. This decision is a targeted move to ensure safety, security and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace,” the press statement said. 

These new list of apps joins the 59 apps the government banned in June that included the very popular TikTok. Following that, 47 apps which were ‘lite' versions of the previously banned 59 apps were also banned.